


The Sorting Ceremony

by escailyy



Series: The Dasey Slytherin Project [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Life with Derek
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Magic, F/M, Hogwarts AU, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Medium Burn, Step-siblings, This is romance, hogwarts third gen, no beta we die like Derek's relationships whenever he talks about Casey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27704351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/escailyy/pseuds/escailyy
Summary: As if Transferring from Ilvermony to Hogwarts one year before graduation wasn't bad enough, now Derek and Casey share a common room, add in a (supposedly failed) attempt at brewing Amortentia, a Quidditch game gone wrong, and Scorpius mentioning that British Wizards marry within the family all the time, for things to get really interesting between our favorite bickering step-siblings
Relationships: Casey McDonald/Derek Venturi
Series: The Dasey Slytherin Project [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2026211
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	The Sorting Ceremony

**Author's Note:**

> The Dasey discord group made me do this.  
> I haven't written in ages.  
> I'm rusty.  
> I blame you guys.

The Sorting ceremony

Casey

It all started with George’s job at MACUSA, in Casey’s opinion, this all was his fault, if he hadn’t been so good at the whole no-maj wizard relations then the British ambassador wouldn’t have offered him a better paying job all across the pond with the Ministry Of Magic.

They had all complained of course, not only because it was supposed to be Casey and Derek’s senior year at Ilvermony, but Lizzie and Edwin would also have to give up all their friends and teachers for a lot longer than Casey and Derek would. Marti seemed to be the only one unperturbed by the outrage, but she was ten and still believed in Santa Claus, so it didn’t really count.

They would have to sell the house, say goodbye to friends and family, move all the way to another country and start over. It was like moving in with the Venturis all over again.

Nevertheless, they needed the money, with George’s new job in England, they could afford a bigger house, newer clothes, and more than one house elf. Casey knew deep down that they were being unfair. The expenses for the food, shelter, and necessities of five underage magical kids who lived straddling the line between the wizards and the no-majs were not small. Casey, Derek, Lizzie, and Edwin could afford to live in both the wizarding world of their parents and the no-maj world of their grandparents, because George was a good provider, and that meant he worked too much overtime at MACUSA and rarely took a break.

So in the end here they were, commiserating in a train ride over missing Ilvermony after a whirlwind move to another continent. Casey’s only consolation was that at least Derek looked as miserable as she felt.

At least she knew someone in Hogwarts, ambassador Greengrass had introduced him to his grandson in the former’s well-meaning effort to make the transition easier for the teenagers, and Scorpius had been all sorts of helpful showing them the ropes of magical Britain (like reminding them that the brits called their ‘no-maj’ muggles). She got along with him right away. Sadly, when not helping his grandfather, Scorpius had an active social life and his group of friends accosted him as soon as he got on the train. 

She just wanted to get it over with, hopefully, Hogwarts also had extracurriculars she could join to boost her magic. Maybe join a dueling club. Else she would be once again stuck practicing jinxes with Derek like they had done the whole summer and magical fights between them both had begun to end up with one too many close calls for her sanity. Derek and she were well matched in DADA, the problem was the after, when they had to get rid of the cuts and bruises. Casey was used to practicing healing spells on him after a duel, she’d started doing it whenever she saw him after brutal Quidditch practices and any defense exercise they did together, but lately, he’d begun to insist on doing the same, and having his eyes detail her whole body looking for things to heal had her nerves on high alert. The older they got the more things like that kept happening and Casey hoped, really hoped, that it was all in her head.

Else her seventh year in Hogwarts might be spent in ways she didn’t want to think about. 

Derek

He missed Ilvermony, he missed everything about it, the building, the transportation, even the smell. The Wampus house better erect a shrine in his name, he’d given them the Quidditch cup three times in a row and this year was supposed to be the year he broke the previous senior’s record. Not only were they moving, but they were also missing out on parties that had been planned since they were kids, his quidditch team was going to celebrate their first game with candy drops of liquid luck, Casey’s Thunderbirds were going to the international debate championship, Kendra was finally over her I-hate-Derek phase and that meant the Charm Cheer squad was free hunting grounds once more and to top it all off they had to suffer a school sorting once again.

At Ilvermony the status quo had been already established since before George and Nora got married, Casey and Lizzie were Thunderbirds and did their Thunderbird thing while Derek and Edwin lorded their superior masculinity as proud Wampuses and spent the school year bringing their attitude to any class that so much as whispered the word ‘compete’ (Derek didn’t want to think about how many times he’d thought the bossy keener from the Thunderbird house was cute before their parents got married and screwed him over, he really didn’t)

So here he was, watching Casey blabber about how nice Scorpius Malfoy was (which to be fair he was, even if the poor dude was stuck with his dad’s undeserved bad rep) and trying to think of something that would make the awkward new kid phase a non-issue, Headmistress McGonagall assured them that Hogwarts was very inclusive and had a cero tolerance for bullies but Derek would believe it when he saw it, this was the school that produced Grindelwald and Voldemort with only a generation of difference so taking everything they said with a grain of salt was a good strategy in his opinion.

They made conversation among each other for the sake of it but Derek could tell everybody was nervous.

“So what’s it going to be Spacey? The evil house, the irresponsible house, the one with the nerds or the dullard table?” He needled in after hearing Lizzie and her debate one more time about the benefits of possibly being sorted into Ravenclaw, mostly because it had a bird sigil on it. And they were both high achievers academically so it was probable.

“De-rek!” Casey hissed “lower your voice, people could hear, all houses are good” she turned to the door and cast a noise-canceling spell around them “I want to actually make friends in Hogwarts you idiot”

“No need to make enemies before you join the dueling club bro” Edwin snorted “You and I are probably going straight to Griffindoor and you know it” Edwin was pretending to put on a brave face but until he knew where they all would be sleeping he wouldn’t be completely okay, and he’d told Derek that one thousand times.

“I hate that everyone has so much prejudice against this or that house, just look at Ilvermony, they say Horned serpent chooses scholars but I’ve met some complete slackers there, same with Thunderbird, you wouldn’t take Paul for an adventurer in a million years, he’s most deskbound teacher ever” Casey lectured in her nag tone “Any house is fine as long as were where should be”

“Exactly!, ugh, which is why I don’t see why you guys are so mystified by the sorting, a talking hat names a house, we get complete strangers as roommates, same as in Ilvermony, just with different teachers and a smaller dating pool for me, also, no cheerleaders, so I should be the one pouting, but you don’t see me looking like a niffler stole all my wallet”

“Is hooking up with girls all you think about Derek? Seriously?” Casey sniffed primly “Some of us want to finish the last school year with honors and not with some itchy disease”

She was so obviously miserable Derek almost felt bad about the glitter bomb howler he’d left in her school trunk to surprise her new roommates.

Lizzie and Edwin laughed “I just hope the food is good, Marti will want to know,” he said taking out his quill to pen a note for Marti.

When they finally got to Hogwarts, the McDonald-Venturi group was not impressed. Mostly because they had all read up on the different schools of magic at Ilvermony one time or another and Hogwarts came up a lot.

Scorpius was back at Casey’s side like a dutiful tour guide, introducing them to his best friend Albus and his sister Lily, followed by Rose whom Derek instantly tried to hit on, only to be punched in the shoulder by two small humans who called themselves Lorcan and Lysander followed by a pat in the head given by her brother Hugo. They were a friendly lot and it made Derek feel much more at ease while the School Deputy called their names up to the sorting hat.

“McDonald, Cassandra” Professor Flitwick called out enthusiastically. A flutter of whispers swept the room as Casey sat under the hat. Oh yeah, you could tell Hogwarts was excited to have transfers from Ilvermony, especially older ones.

“hmm, interesting.. a bright mind, so eager to learn” The hat hummed “Brave too, to endure all those changes” The hat deliberated his decision for a few minutes “Loyal yes, but you’re no Hufflepuff” it chuckled making Casey harrumph, Derek could tell it was having a two-way conversation with her and suddenly the hat let out a bark of laughter “What is this! Oh this is entirely too amusing, I suppose yes with you being a seventh year, one ought to expect these sort of thoughts” The hat continues to chuckle, making Derek really curious about the hat’s reaction to the contents of her spacey head “ well then let’s get on with it Miss McDonald, seeking knowledge for the sake of wisdom means Ravenclaw, but seeking knowledge for the sake of self-confidence …well that just only leaves us in SLYTHERIN”

The Slytherin table cheered loudly and Casey was offered a seat between Scorpius two cousins, cousins Macaria and Melinoe while the prefect shook her hand and welcomed her to the Slytherin house (if Derek thought Casey’s friendship with the blond Slytherin nerd was anything to be worried about, he didn’t show it in his face, even if, the guy’s goody-two-shoes attitude with Casey was starting to grate on his nerves)

“McDonald, Elizabeth!” Professor Flitwick called again.

Although to be fair Lizzie’s sorting wasn’t as long as Casey’s “Another McDonald! Color me surprised” The hat barked settling in Lizzie’s head “No, no Slytherin for you that’s for sure, not with that wit and that talent, you would be wasted anywhere that wasn’t RAVENCLAW”

The Ravenclaw table cheered for Lizzie and she too was welcome among them with the appropriate fanfare, Lorcan and Lysander made space for her next to them and she looked happy, but Derek and Edwin looked worriedly at each other, it was the first time that Casey and Lizzie would be in separated houses. Casey was cheering, but she too looked mildly disappointed from where he could see.

Derek wondered, not for the first time, what would happen if he really was sorted into Gryffindor with Edwin, while Casey enjoyed the dungeons with her new friend Scorpius, sure Rose, Hugo and Lily were there, and nothing had to change, but what if it did? Sharing a house was conducive to many things, he should know, he’d used the Wampus house proximity to have some interesting moments with Sally. But the brits were different and space Case would probably be in way over her head. Even if being sorted in the house better known for producing evil wizards did make her look kind of (sexier) cooler.

Putting that aside, he was intrigued by what the hat would say when his name was called. Which happened soon enough “Venturi, Derek”

“Oh, not another one!” The hat barked in an almost outraged tone, making Derek furrow his brow “What a combination you have there”

_Are you reading my mind?_

_Yes,_ the voice of the hat replied _it’s usually rather enjoyable, given the kind of thoughts a person has during the sorting_ “but you seventh years make the experience so much more amusing” The hat said out loud “Now let’s see, Brave and bold, a true athlete, you would fit in well with the troublemakers you know” the hat continued talking “on the other hand there is also ambition here and cunning, thirst for glory”

_Well, I am THE Derek Venturi, fortune favored the brave and all that, I’m the master of greatness_

“Ah, such arrogance of youth, you must know greatness can take many forms” The hat laughed, and from the corner of his eye, he could see Casey chuckle. The moment Derek’s thoughts veered towards Casey the hat let out another bark of laughter “Now that is something else! Truly fascinating” _your thoughts are like a finely tuned compass always pointing towards the north,_ it added into his head “The potential is tremendous” 

_She’s not my north_ Derek snapped internally _she’s my step sister_.

“Yet we can’t deny the truth can we Mr. Venturi?” the hat said again out loud, _you want what you want. But are you sure? Gryffindor could be good for you._

Derek looked for a second towards Casey before adding in his head _‘yes, I’m sure’_

“I see if I put you in Gryffindor I will have a riot in the making then, better not, you obviously belong in SLYTHERIN”

Derek smirked as Casey’s eyes widened, the Slytherin table cheered and the prefects shook his hand, but his real triumph was enjoying the look of surprise the crossed her face as her seatmates made space for him next to her.

“Get ready to wake up to the sound of my burping every morning princess,” Derek said smugly “Apparently I’m too cunning for Griffindoor”

“Or too evil, If I didn’t know that you’re as malevolent as it gets then I would demand a re-sorting” Casey hissed under her breath “I can’t believe we are going to share a house for the next whole school year” She groaned “Kill me now”

“I’ve wanted to do the honors since we met, the family just wouldn’t let me” Derek shot back making Macaria and Melinoe giggle

“ It’s funny how you guys bicker” Scorpius, who had been watching the exchange with amusement shook his head “welcome to Slytherin Derek, you are going to love the dungeons”

Derek thought about how much he could get away with, in a place with dark corridors and empty classrooms lining the way “I have no doubt I will” he sent a smirk at Casey “right Spacey?”

“Game on!” Casey snapped, trying to wipe the smirk off his face “let's see how it goes when our parents aren’t here to stop us from hexing each other during breakfast” and there it was the rise Derek was hoping to get from her

He just hoped she never found out that he’d been sorted into Slytherin because of her. If she did he’d never hear the end of it “Hope you enjoy glitter howlers then” and the horror written in his eyes was so good he almost missed how fast Edwin had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

**Author's Note:**

> Small notes on this au:  
> Casey might have a dirtier mind than Derek and the sorting hat knows that.  
> Yes, Derek and Casey duel each other for fun…lately it’s been getting hotter tho.  
> Scorpius and Casey initially bonded over a mutual love for the Game of Thrones series and Brienne of Tarth, something Derek cannot understand because he does not like reading.  
> George and Nora are both muggleborn, but their respective exes (Casey’s dad and Derek’s mom) are half-bloods. So their kids were raised with one foot in each ecosystem.  
> (This is not CC compliant, meaning Astoria Malfoy is still alive and happily married to Draco, because I say so, Macaria and Melinoe, daughters of Daphne Greengrass and Theodore Nott. Scorpius is Grandpa Greengrass favorite because he’s the only grandson and he’s perfect)
> 
> will post more in this series...soon I hope


End file.
